


Our Choices

by sassyassassin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Hogwarts Sixth Year, M/M, Rating May Change, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 09:37:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5780893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassyassassin/pseuds/sassyassassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Draco didn't join Voldemort in sixth year...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Our choices seal our fate

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this is my first fic. Chapter title is from Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons. I have the whole thing planned out and just need to write it. Enjoy!

Draco waved his wand and the last of the spells fell into place. The manor was sealed, not to be opened again maybe for many years.

 

He couldn’t help but feel a surge of grief; he was shutting himself away from all that he had ever known, his luxurious life, family. Anger welled up in him and caused him to curse out loud at his father. Draco resented him; if he hadn’t got caught Draco would be safe, still living in his shielded life without knowledge of the Dark Lord’s plan for him and all those he knew. He’d admit that he had believed his father for most of his life, foolishly falling for his lies about the glory of the Dark Lord’s crusade and the fabrications about the inferiority of those mudbloods. Maybe blood purity was important, maybe it wasn’t, Draco didn’t have time to ponder over it, not when he was still in danger. Oh for merlin’s sake, why was he just standing there!

 

Oh yes, that was why. He had nowhere to go. His mother had left the previous day to go somewhere; France, he assumed as she had family there, some distant relative through the Black family who had moved there after being disowned. He couldn’t turn to any of his friends, not that he would call them friends, they would shun him, call him a coward. He didn’t care. Anything was better than having to see his mother once the Dark Lord had done with her. Her hands hadn’t been able to stop shaking as she told him that he had been summoned to take his father’s place. He would not take the mark, he would flee and then maybe he and his mother might be safe.

 

Where to go, though? He had no one to turn to. No friends, he would only endanger the other slytherins if he asked them for help, he didn’t even know if he could trust them. He remembered Flint telling him in his first year that in slytherin we take care of our own, but would they? He would be asking them to risk their lives and their family’s life. He couldn’t ask that of any of them. Not to mention how their parents might just send him back to the Dark Lord. He had no family, except those he had ignored for all of his life. He had money at least, they had only been able to hold Lucius’ personal accounts, the family’s were untouched and he had a bag full of galleons in his trunk. Maybe to the Leaky Cauldron, but Diagon Alley was not safe, they would find him there.

 

He had no choice and that was his last thought before he turned on the spot and disapparated.

 

The gates were as tall as he remembers, but now their dark iron and statues were imposing, threatening. This was not ever his home, like it may have been other students. but it is all he has left.

 

A figure emerges out of the darkness next to him and it’s all he can do not to utter a curse at once.

 

However, it’s not a Death Eater, as he feared, but Dumbledore. The old fool is as senseless as ever it seems, Draco could have cursed him right there, or could he? The Dark Lord fears Dumbledore. Why he does not know. Despite Dumbledore being legendary, he has never appeared to be more than a crazy muggle-loving idiot. And now he is Draco’s last hope. Irony’s a bitch.

 

“Professor, I …” How should he start. Is Dumbledore such a fool as to believe him without any proof? He can only hope so.

 

“I have information, in exchange for protection” Draco blurts out.

 

“Good evening Draco, I must say I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon after the end of term. What can I help you with?” Dumbledore was infuriating. It was as if he had not listened to a word Draco had said.

 

“Sir, I think you are in danger. The Dark Lord wants you dead before he can move on Hogwarts. You cannot trust Severus Snape!” Draco relayed the information he had learnt over the last year:  from hearing his parents talking, the news overheard from cloaked strangers that turned up in the middle of the night and most importantly from Snape, who would slither in under the cover of darkness to talk to his father while his mother stood by worriedly. He had heard much from listening at doors. Maybe he ought to have trusted his family but when he set his mind to something he did not fail. He would not fail now.

 

“My dear boy, I trust Professor Snape completely.” The senile old fool was not listening.

 

“But sir-”

 

“Draco, if you do not trust Professor Snape then you must trust that I do.”

 

He still wouldn’t listen.

 

“SIR HE IS COMING FOR YOU AND THEN FOR ALL OF US.” Draco lost his temper. He shouldn’t have, he knew, but the man was so infuriating.

 

Dumbledore stood there silently for a moment before replying softly. “Draco, I understand that this must be a hard time for you but you must understand that while at Hogwarts, I will do all in my power to keep you safe. You have asked for help and Hogwarts will always answer. But now I think that it is best if you go into the castle; I’m sure the house elves will have prepared your dormitory by now. I have other business to attend to tonight but there are still some of your school fellows in the castle.”

 

Draco could tell that Dumbledore wouldn’t pay attention to anything he said. He treated him like a child and it was maddening. At least he would be safe for now.

 

Just as Draco turned towards the gates Dumbledore spoke once more. “One more thing, Draco; there is the slight matter of your house and mother.” Draco paused; Dumbledore must know that the ministry had searched the manor. They had not seized everything but Draco had sealed it to preserve the family’s dignity. What dignity they had left. The Malfoys and Blacks both seemed to be corrupted with blood traitors and know he was one.

 

Draco turned. “My mother has gone and I don’t know where so don’t bother asking.” He drawled irritably. “Also, the family house has been sealed, only one of Malfoy blood can open it so it is safe until such time as my father or I return.” Would his father ever return? Surely the Dark Lord would punish him for Draco and his mother’s actions.

 

Dumbledore simply nodded and disapparated. Draco turned back and started up the long drive to the castle, his new home.

 


	2. Pretending life is worth the fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I have managed to write the next chapter so here it is. The title is from The Other Side by Woodkid.

The summer had never dragged on so long for Harry. He spent each day avoiding the Dursleys, confined to his room, not coming out for meals. At night he would sneak downstairs for food, even then he did not eat much. His days became tiring as he paced back and forth in his room fixating on every second of that day, every mistake he made, and Sirius’ face as he fell.

 

He got no respite at night as his dreams only repeated that day. Often he suffered a fitful few hours of sleep full with nightmares of that day before he returned to his old dream, a green flash that shook him from his sleep.

 

He was relieved when Dumbledore came finally but he dreaded returning to Hogwarts. He would have to see everyone again, answer their endless questions. At least in Privet Drive he could try to forget, to deny the events in the ministry. Once at Hogwarts, those who rejected his claims last year would plague him with their questions. They would all know Voldemort is back, know what he had known for a year, but they would know nothing of what truly happened at the ministry.

 

They would not know that he tried to use the cruciatus curse on Bellatrix, their perfect hero using an unforgivable curse, and he failed. He failed Sirius, he was too rash, too foolish, and Sirius took the punishment for him. He couldn’t even take revenge on Bellatrix for Sirius. His only comfort being that Sirius was cleared of all charges. What good is that to the dead?

 

He had gained a family and lost it again and now he must return to Hogwarts and endure the curious stares that will follow him once more.

  

* * *

 

 Draco enjoyed the quiet of Hogwarts. He had the slytherin dorm to himself. The only students at the school were a few hufflepuffs and gryffindors who were there for extra tuition. Any slytherin in need of tuition could afford a private tutor so he enjoyed the stillness of the slytherin dorm while dreading the return of the other students.

 

At first he ate in the great hall a few times, alone at the slytherin table. The other students sat together and there were a few teachers at the high table but he was isolated. He hated their prying stares and so stopped eating there. He would go to the kitchens for food or have the house elves bring him something. Now the only time he needed to leave his dorm now was to go to the kitchens or to the library.

 

He had no other reason for leaving, no friends to meet; he had foolishly left his broom at home so he could not even enjoy the freedom of flight. It was probably fortunate, he could not play on the team anymore, it would be too risky. He would not put it past one of his fellow slytherins to target him.

 

He had lost a house full of allies. There might be some that would have helped him but he could not ask that of his friends. He could not risk of his friends. He would protect them by deserting them.

 

* * *

 

 

 Harry was not sure he liked Slughorn; the man seemed to always be scheming. Harry felt uneasy when Slughorn had looked at him, like a prize to be won. He might not be the cruel type of slytherin like Malfoy but he had the same cunning ambition. His vanity and prejudice grated on Harry’s nerves however his obsession with his connections and wish to collect Harry was strange but not sinister.

 

The offhand way he mentioned Sirius caused Harry to feel faint as his stomach tightened painfully and Dumbledore trying to talk to Harry about Sirius only made it worse. Dumbledore probably new how Harry was feeling; that he couldn’t eat or sleep, that a slight mention of Sirius made him unsteady, that he felt like he was constantly surrounded by dementors that were infecting him with their cold misery.

 

He knew Dumbledore would not judge him if he cried over Sirius but he knew he was just being a foolish child. He had lived for so long without Sirius, he should be able to again. So he pretended that he ok, that he would get over it and concentrate on the future and Voldemort. It was a quite easy lie, he wanted revenge. He knew that it was his fault Sirius had been in danger but he also knew that it was Bellatrix Lestrange on Voldemort’s orders who had killed Sirius. He would avenge Sirius and he didn’t care if he died doing so.

 

He had hoped that he would start to feel enthusiastic about the new school year once he returned to the Burrow and saw Ron and Hermione again but his apprehension was constant. He felt like he was being weighed down by this dread so that as he made his way upstairs his feet felt heavy at each step.  

 

At least he could evade having to talk about it with Ron and Hermione. The Burrow was constantly busy with so many people staying in it Ron and Hermione never got a moment alone with him. He didn’t think he could face talking about Sirius with them. It was too raw, he felt like he was choking every time he thought of him. As Mrs Weasley fussed around him constantly and the twins caused havoc he could distract himself.

 

He was able to fly again. A few matches with the Weasleys in their garden. The gryffindor team would change again this year, Katie was still around, as of course were Ron and Ginny. Angelina had left so there would be a new captain. He and Katie had been around for the longest but Katie was the year above him, she would probably be captain.

 

Harry occupied himself with thoughts of quidditch, what his lessons with Dumbledore would be on, and the new school year. He did not confide his feelings with Ron and Hermione but he did tell them off the Prophecy, his lessons with Dumbledore and Slughorn. This distracted them as so they spent hours speculating allowing Harry to be free from constant questions about how he was feeling.

 

Harry did start to enjoy living at the burrow again; it was always a hive of activity, especially with Fleur and Bill being there. He was happy to see both of them again, he had bonded with her slightly during the triwizard tournament but the disorder around Cedric’s death meant they had loss contact. Fleur was still beautiful but he no longer felt stunned talking to her, however Ron and the others were still dazed by her sometimes. Harry admired Bill, he was still cool and good looking but also calm as everyone else seemed unnerved all the time.

 

He and Ron both received seven O.W.L.s and Hermione got ten, probably the only person in the year to do so well. They all enjoyed an uneventful trip to Diagon Alley; Harry was delighted to see Hagrid again, not to mention the twins and their new shop. However Harry could feel the dread setting in again, the return to Hogwarts only caused Harry to feel anxious and apprehensive.

 

* * *

 

 Draco got ten O.W.L.s, he was hardly surprised as he had been studying magically theory most of his childhood and practiced it constantly once he got his wand. He ordered all of his new school supplies to be delivered by owl and prepared for the new school year. He researched more advanced magic using the resources of the library; he would need this more complex magic to protect himself once the other slytherins returned.


End file.
